Challenge

AMC welcomed the National Pressure Injury Advisory Panel (NPIAP) as a new client in November 2023. Onboarding a new client is an intensive process, oftentimes with many time-sensitive projects. In the case of NPIAP, their annual conference was rapidly approaching in early February. The success of this conference was critical to solidifying a long-term, positive relationship with NPIAP, and marketing the event was a key aspect of proving AMC’s value. Studio AMC, AMC’s in-house marketing and editorial services agency, quickly embraced its role in demonstrating AMC’s focus on exceptional client service.

Process

Studio AMC developed a high-impact marketing plan designed to deliver targeted, multi-channel, high-frequency messaging with a very modest budget. The duration of the campaign was a mere 8 weeks. Studio AMC collaborated with the executive director, AMC’s SEIRR team (Strategic Events, Industry Relations, and Registration), and educational staff to understand the onsite experience and the meeting content. This information was used to craft an attendee value proposition.

During the campaign’s duration, Studio AMC sent 12 emails and several social media posts over Facebook, X, and LinkedIn. Messages were succinct, provided relevant details, and had a clear directive to register for the event. Email best practices were employed taking careful notice of everything from subject lines, to link placement, to the use of graphics. Additionally, Studio AMC maximized the modest marketing budget with the use of paid advertising on Facebook. The targeted audiences included Facebook page engagements, visitors, and lookalike audiences. The ad utilized a carousel of rotating images, providing a countdown of the reasons to register.

Outcomes

Meeting registration exceeded the target by 65%. Email marketing soared above industry benchmarks by 13%, with an average open rate that ranged between 45%–49%. Email click-through rates exceeded industry benchmarks by 17% and averaged between 12%–18%. The Facebook ads had an impressive performance. The average click-through rate was 7.8%, 6.12% higher than the health industry average. Interestingly, the paid campaign ended early due to a sell-out situation on the event’s hotel room block.

Discussion

Upon initiating this promotional program, concern existed regarding the time available to generate event interest and drive registrations. This campaign demonstrates that the frequency and timing of promotional messaging are critical to success. Constant monitoring of campaign performance metrics to registrations enabled a tailored approach to effect campaign impact. In addition, the content of the Facebook ads may be considered as a mainstay of event marketing, the method in which the content was presented had a big impact. Most attendees crave a standard set of factual information, presenting it in a way that captures their attention is what matters.

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Health industry social advertising insights provided by wordstream.com.
Health industry email advertising insights provided by knowledgebase.constantcontact.com (updated Mar 2024).